It is a difficult and often frustrating task to properly align the towing hitch on a vehicle with the hitch coupler on a trailer. The towing vehicle must be moved in a rearward direction to move the hitch, which is typically positioned on the rear of the vehicle and out of the operator's sight, into position over a hitch coupler, which is also typically out of the operator's sight range. If the vehicle backs too far, the coupler will often strike the vehicle, and may cause damage. This can occur especially if hitch and coupler alignment is improper.
A conventional hitch ball-type coupler must be lowered onto the vehicle hitch ball to complete the coupling operation. Likewise, the coupler must be raised to disconnect the coupler. This requires that the trailer tongue be lifted and lowered, further complicating the coupling and disconnecting operations.
The above have been continuing problems, and numerous attempts at solutions have met with only marginal success. Some solutions involve placement of a horizontal "V" shaped guide mounted to the trailer tongue, with the hitch coupler at the vertex of the "V" shape. The converging arms are intended to guide the hitch rearwardly to the coupler. However the outwardly extending arms are cumbersome and must be made very strong to avoid bending. Further, the typical "V" shaped guide does not complete the hitching operation but simply assists alignment of the hitch and coupler, so the trailer tongue still must be lifted and lowered as described above.
An improved coupler that includes some limited capability for guiding a hitch into position is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,666 to Hollis, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,363 to Marler. The Hollis and Marler couplers include pivoted jaws with internal cut-outs which, when pivoted together, will capture a hitch ball. When open the jaws form a small "V" shape that might be used to a limited extent for guiding the hitch ball into the coupler as the towing vehicle moves rearwardly. In Hollis, the rearwardly moving hitch ball, if properly received in the "V" shape might engage the open socket members and cause the jaws to close. In both Hollis and Marler, a jaw encasing housing can be pivoted down over the closed jaws to lock the jaws in the closed position.
While the Hollis and Marler couplers have the advantage of positively clasping the hitch, any potential guiding function is limited by the distance the pivoted jaws can separate. The "target" area for operator is thus enlarged only to a small degree. If the jaws were to be extended or made longer to increase the target area, the extended parts would project too far forwardly of the hitch and interfere with the bumper or hitch receiver on the towing vehicle.
Another approach to the problem was made in U.S. Pat. No. 2,292,751 to Forney. Like Hollis and Marler, Forney uses pivoted jaws to grip a hitch. But instead of a pivoted housing, Forney makes use of a slidable tube which is spring loaded to slide forwardly and lock the jaws closed over the engaged hitch member. Forney, by using pivoted jaws faces the same "small target" area experienced by Hollis. Plus the jaws do not evidently automatically close in response to rearward movement and engagement by the hitch.
Others facing similar problems have developed clasping hitch couplers that are of interest. U.S. Pat. No. 1,336,181 to Anderson, for example, shows a coupler with one pivoted jaw operable by a bolt arrangement that slides in cam slots formed in the jaws. The bolt arrangement is spring biased to hold the jaws in a hitch clasping position and must be pulled rearwardly to allow the jaws to open.
Other developments have also been made, examples of which are submitted for consideration, including:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,705 to Janes et. al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,549 to Robinson;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,794 to Richman, Jr.;
U.S. Pat. No. 2,904,348 to Quastad; and
U.S. Pat. No. 1,810,592 to Billstein.
Even though advancements have been made, as evidenced from the prior art, the problem faced by operators of towing vehicles of positioning or aligning a towing vehicle relative to a coupler for hitch connection purposes still remains.
The present invention has for a primary objective an improved solution to the above problems, by providing a coupler that will expand to a wide hitch receiving position, enabling a greater degree of initial mis-alignment between the hitch and coupler, and that will function to automatically close on the hitch as the towing vehicle is moved rearwardly.
A further objective is to provide such a coupler that will function as indicated and that will also enable connection and disconnection of the hitch and connector without requiring significant, if any, elevational movement of either member beyond initial adjustments to accommodate hitch height.
A still further objective is to provide such a connector that can be securely locked on a hitch.
A yet further objective is to provide such a connector that has few moving parts and that is simple to operate.
The above and yet further objectives and advantages will become evident from the following description which, taken with the accompanying drawings and scope-defining claims, describe the presently known best mode for carrying out the present invention.